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Doctors dodged yet another bullet last night as the U.S. Senate agreed to delay a scheduled 21-percent cut in Medicare payments to physicians.

But their relief will be short-lived. The delay lasts only 30 days. Doctors will have to win yet another vote before then to avoid the cuts, which apply to seniors covered by the federal Medicare health insurance program.

That cut is demanded by a formula instituted in 1997. But nearly every time the formula has called for a cut, Congress has suspended it.

The Senate was trying to pass a 30-day suspension on Friday, but the bill that included the provision was held up by retiring GOP Sen. Jim Bunning of Kentucky. He said the bill’s extra spending was not offset by new revenue. The bill that passed Tuesday night will apply retroactively to any Medicare patients seen by doctors since Monday.

For their part, doctors renewed their threat to stop seeing Medicare patients if the scheduled cut is allowed to go through. They also reiterated their calls for permanent repeal of the 1997 formula. Such a repeal was part of the health reform bills in Congress last year, but it was stripped out because it would increase the federal budget deficit by more than $200 million over 10 years.

Wall's career as a journalist was set in fifth grade, when he took on an afternoon paper route for The Indianapolis News. He admits to being a terrible paperboy because instead of delivering the newspaper right away, he would sit and read it for hours. He may have lost some customers, but he never lost the bug for news. A lifelong resident of central Indiana, Wall grew up in Sheridan—the one spot in Hamilton County untouched by suburbia. After graduating from DePauw University in Greencastle, he joined The Indianapolis Star as a business reporting intern and refused to leave until he had a full-time job. Wall stayed there five years before joining IBJ in February 2007. Wall and his wife now live in Indianapolis with their two sons. When not at the office, the Walls spend time with their extended family and worship at Christ Church Reformed Presbyterian in Brownsburg.

all’s career as a journalist was set in fifth grade, when he took on an afternoon paper route for The Indianapolis News. He admits to being a terrible paperboy because instead of delivering the newspaper right away, he would sit and read it for hours. He may have lost some customers, but he never lost the bug for news. A lifelong resident of central Indiana, Wall grew up in Sheridan—the one spot in Hamilton County untouched by suburbia. After graduating from DePauw University in Greencastle, he joined The Indianapolis Star as a business reporting intern and refused to leave until he had a full-time job. Wall stayed there five years before joining IBJ in February 2007. Wall and his wife now live in Indianapolis with their two sons. When not at the office, the Walls spend time with their extended family and worship at Christ Church Reformed Presbyterian in Brownsburg

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IBJ’s CFO of the Year honorees are impressive financial professionals who steer the fortunes of their companies and organizations. Join IBJ to celebrate them on Dec. 1.

Nominations

Do you know an individual or organization that goes above and beyond to improve health care in the Indianapolis area? Let them know their contributions matter. Nominate them for IBJ’s 2017 Health Care Heroes Awards program. For more information or to submit a nomination, visit www.ibj.com/nominations